Facts about the Ebola Virus

Important Information about the Ebola Virus

A potential worldwide health crisis emerged a couple of months ago with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. This modern day plague has now reached a point where some countries are ready to call it a pandemic, with the increasing number of infections and fatalities reported daily. In the three worst affected West African countries: Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone more than 4,000 confirmed deaths have been reported to date. Faced with economic instability and non-existent medical infrastructure, West African countries are losing the war against Ebola. It is believed that this all-consuming virus that bows before no man will claim the lives 70% of those who are infected.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) started treating the breakout in March2014. Four and a half months later it has become the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus in the history of its existence. WHO initially regarded the Ebola outbreak as a manageable outbreak and in due course conceded that the outbreak is anything but manageable, sparking sharp criticism of the WHO’s perceived weak response to the initial outbreak. With concern about the devastating effects of the Ebola outbreak growing exponentially the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was necessitated to jump in and assist in the battle against Ebola.

This Ebola virus, also known as Ebola Haemorrhagic fever, is believed to have its origin from Fruit bats in the forest of Guinea, although this remains unconfirmed. Common symptoms of an Ebola infection are high fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding. Currently there is no cure for this merciless virus and in a frantic scampering to head the pleas of the diseased and dying organisations like the WHO and CDC have resorted to using untested vaccinations, like ZMap, in an attempt to treat Ebola patients.